# Can Open Rockets or rocksim work for high power high altitude rockets made to go to n

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##### Well-Known Member
As the question says, I'm wondering can OpenRockets or rocksim work for high power high altitude rockets made to go to near space? If not, what other programs can be used? I can't use something too expensive but need to be able to get the landing footprint for the FAA. Thank you

#### timbucktoo

Staff member
TRF Supporter
Global Mod

##### Well-Known Member
Thank you, and does it give Landing footprint?

#### Banzai88

##### Lvl 1,Wallet....Destroyed
TRF Supporter
Without inputting all of the winds aloft at each level and a detailed understanding on how the vehicle falls and behaves in those winds, ANY landing footprint is, at best, a SWAG.

OR and RS will give you that indication, but it does not get very detailed at all on winds aloft other than what you input, which has no distinction between ground level winds and those aloft. The sims also do not take into account possible cross wind lift generated by the shape of your parachute, nor increased wind resistance from the vehicle falling sideways either.

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#### Bat-mite

##### Rocketeer in MD
Rocksim Pro can.
But that probably falls into the "too expensive" category.

##### Well-Known Member
But that probably falls into the "too expensive" category.
Yeah it kindof does

#### dhbarr

##### Amateur Professional
Going "near space" isn't cheap any way you slice it. Class III / Experimental Permit flights cost.

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#### Worsaer

##### Amateur Propulsionist
Are you flying with Tripoli?

##### Well-Known Member
Going "near space" isn't cheap any way you slice it. Class III / Experimental Permit flights cost.
I know but the less money, the less we need to fundraise

Are you flying with Tripoli?
No NAR why?

#### dhbarr

##### Amateur Professional
I know but the less money, the less we need to fundraise
EX motor & hardware store parts? Rolling your own tubes / turning your own cone?

If not, think about how much time you might save & accuracy you might gain by scripting RS-PRO.

Disclaimer: I only use RAII & OR currently, because I don't need to do splash analysis.

#### Worsaer

##### Amateur Propulsionist
According to the Tripoli website, the following is available to members:

The Class 3 Review Committee performs reviews of all Tripoli
Member flights to be submitted to the FAA AST for approval.

Additionally they perform a review of flights planned by Tripoli Members above 50,000ft.

##### Well-Known Member
EX motor & hardware store parts? Rolling your own tubes / turning your own cone?

If not, think about how much time you might save & accuracy you might gain by scripting RS-PRO.

Disclaimer: I only use RAII & OR currently, because I don't need to do splash analysis.
Tha things is that we're struggling in just getting enough money for the rocket (we just reached it a few days ago after months of raising money ) and we don't plan on using RS-PRO more than once, $1000 is alot just for one time especially since all the money must be fundraised. #### dhbarr ##### Amateur Professional Tha things is that we're struggling in just getting enough money for the rocket (we just reached it a few days ago after months of raising money ) and we don't plan on using RS-PRO more than once,$1000 is alot just for one time especially since all the money must be fundraised.
How many times do you expect to use the rocket?

##### Well-Known Member
How many times do you expect to use the rocket?
2 times only for now.

First time not too max altitude nor speed in order to test.

Second time being the real deal.

#### dhbarr

##### Amateur Professional
2 times only for now.

First time not too max altitude nor speed in order to test.

Second time being the real deal.
So that's sort of my point if I had one, I guess.

Two uses of RS-PRO ( or whatever solution you end up with), two uses of the airframe & nosecone. Unless you're borrowing cases & chutes, two uses of each. Etc.

tl;dr: software costs are part of almost any engineering project these days, just like every other tool.

##### Well-Known Member
So that's sort of my point if I had one, I guess.

Two uses of RS-PRO ( or whatever solution you end up with), two uses of the airframe & nosecone. Unless you're borrowing cases & chutes, two uses of each. Etc.

tl;dr: software costs are part of almost any engineering project these days, just like every other tool.
I know most of it were borrowing since we don't have much money. Is there any alternative to finding the landing-zone? Maybe some equations to predict it.

#### mikec

##### Well-Known Member
I know most of it were borrowing since we don't have much money.
Sigh. Another one of these projects.

Where/when were you planning to fly? If you fly at BALLS then the Class 3 committee will do the analysis for you even if you're NAR, I expect. Although a TRA membership a whole lot cheaper than all the software and FAA hassle you'll spend getting a waiver on your own.

#### Buckeye

##### Well-Known Member
TRF Supporter
I know most of it were borrowing since we don't have much money. Is there any alternative to finding the landing-zone? Maybe some equations to predict it.
A splash down analysis requires hundreds to thousands of 6DOF simulations that statistically sample all the possible variations. With OR, you can do them by hand or get clever and do some coding (OR gives you the source code) to generate the sims automatically.

#### ksaves2

According to the Tripoli website, the following is available to members:

The Class 3 Review Committee performs reviews of all Tripoli
Member flights to be submitted to the FAA AST for approval.

Additionally they perform a review of flights planned by Tripoli Members above 50,000ft.
Correct me if I'm wrong Bill but doesn't TRA have access to a copy of RS-PRO an interested party could have their data run on? Kurt

#### markkoelsch

##### Well-Known Member
But that probably falls into the "too expensive" category.
It is pricey, but if you cannot afford a grand for software you are financially underpowered for a space shot. Just reality.

#### Worsaer

##### Amateur Propulsionist
Correct me if I'm wrong Bill but doesn't TRA have access to a copy of RS-PRO an interested party could have their data run on? Kurt
I can say that the Class 3 Review Committee has appropriate software to assist in performing the analysis. It may not be RS-Pro. That being said, it would be best to reach out to one of the committee members directly to learn more about what's involved in a flight of this magnitude.

http://www.tripoli.org/C3RC

#### markkoelsch

##### Well-Known Member
I can say that the Class 3 Review Committee has appropriate software to assist in performing the analysis. It may not be RS-Pro. That being said, it would be best to reach out to one of the committee members directly to learn more about what's involved in a flight of this magnitude.

http://www.tripoli.org/C3RC
As far as I know, they are still using RS Pro for the Splash patterns.